Overcoming Equity Barriers in Bike Share Nathan … McNeil...increase access to bike share and...
Transcript of Overcoming Equity Barriers in Bike Share Nathan … McNeil...increase access to bike share and...
Overcoming Equity Barriers in Bike ShareOverview
The number of Bike Share systems has grown dramatically in the United States inthe past five years, but available system data shows that bike share is lessaccessible to lower-income and minority communities. User data has also shownthat bike share members are much more likely to be white and higher income. In2015, the Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) funded initiatives in six cities toincrease access to bike share and overcome barriers to usage for low-income andminority communities.
This poster presents information on what bike share operators are currently doing toaddress equity barriers, and what we are doing to learn about how successful thoseefforts have been so far.
What are bike share operators dong now?
Findings from a survey of bike share operatorsIn spring 2016, we surveyed bike share operators about whether and how they consider equity when making decisions about the system. 55 of 75 systems responded to the survey. Select findings are shown below.
Over 80% of responding systems (44 systems) shared what they thought were key barriers to participation for underserved communities in their cities. Generally, the barriers fell into the categories of pricing and payment systems, various aspects of access, perceptions of bike share and bicycling in general, and awareness, education, and understanding of how the system works.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Station Siting(n=54)
Fee Structure and PaymentSystems(n=54)
System Operations,including Employment
Approaches(n=52)
Promotion, Outreach andMarketing
(n=53)
Data Collection, includingassessment of User (and
potential user)Demographics (n=51)
How is equity considered in these areas?
Not considered Considered/No Impact
Considered/Impacted
.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Up to 100bikes (n=14)
101 to 500bikes (n=29)
501 or morebikes (n=13)
All surveyedsystems(n=56)
Which systems have specific equity statements?
Other
Do Not
Have Equitystatement orpolicy
Philadelphia
Cash Payment Option
Monthly (rather than annual membership)
20 Stations in underserved areas
Community ambassadors and outreach campaign
Chicago
Cash Payment Option
$5 Annual membership (under 3x poverty line)
Stations in underserved areas
Community outreach campaign
Brooklyn
Reduced price option (public housing residents)
Stations in underserved areas
Community outreach campaign
Efforts specific to Better Bike Share cities
Element Who / What Where Key Questions WhenResident Surveys Residents, whether or
not they currently bike or use bike share
Geographically Focused areas around bike share stations in areas targeted for outreach / intervention through BBSP; Comparable control areas will be sought that either do not have bike share stations, or that were not targeted by outreach efforts
Barriers to bicycling and bike share;Awareness and perceptions of bike share;Amount of use of bike share
Summer 2016; data entry in progress
User Surveys Bike share users, especially those identified as having had outreach contact, or who live in target areas
Targeted to users identified as having been contacted by outreach efforts; Targeted to users from specific geographic areas (e.g. zip codes); or, Citywide
Value of bike share;Access to places and transit;Experience with bike share
Fall 2016
Bike Share System and Station Data
Existing system use data
Citywide, and in target areas Bike Share use in target areasUser demographics
Ongoing
Bike Share owner / operator scan
Representatives of agencies / entities planning and operating bike share systems
Nationwide Defined equity policy?Consideration of equity in system planning and operations
Spring 2016,complete
Outreach and Research Target Areas
Key Barrier Questions
Resident Survey Details
• Mail out survey with online and paper options
• Spanish Language option• 18,000 residents in Brooklyn,
Chicago and Philadelphia• Low-income areas with
recent bike share stations added
• Areas with BBSP targeted outreach and control areas (without BBSP outreach)
• Piloted to 200 resident in each city prior to full launch
Overall Research Project Elements
A key section of the survey asks resident about potential barriers to bicycling in general, and to using bike share specifically. Responses are still being tabulated, but based on the pilot surveys, we have some key barriers we are exploring.
Barriers marked with a:• small star () were
selected by 20-33% of pilot respondents;
• big star () were selected by more than 33% of pilot respondents.
Other key survey sections include…
General information about
daily travel
Opinions about neighborhood,
change, and the city
General opinions about bicycling
Bike share awareness, use
and opinionsReasons to
consider bike share
&Changes that
would make bike share more attractive
Demographics
Bronzeville & South Side, Chicago
Bedford-Stuyvesant & East Williamsburg,Brooklyn, New York
West, North, and South Philadelphia
AcknowledgmentsThis research is made possible by grants from the Better Bike Share Partnership (including People for Bikes) and the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), as well as the generous help of our partners in Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York City.
Nathan McNeil John MacArthur Jennifer DillJoe Broach Steven Howland